Stressed

I totally understand where you are coming from. I am on my forth week without smoking and my stress level is off the charts. I give myself a little pep talk to help through my roughest spots. For example this is worth it. You deserve to live healthy...etc along that line but I would have to agree with the others exercise is my best stress reliever. I know its hard with little ones as I battle this myself too. I do a lot of work out tapes if I can't get outside to jog.

The other thing is I have a lot of gum for the really bad moments. You can do this I have faith!

I agree with the previous poster. Take a walk or get out and do some other kind of exercise, maybe something fun and relaxing like Zumba. Exercise is a great natural way to produce stress fighting hormones, take your mind off your problems, and help you in your weight loss journey.

Just breathing is also important. Take a few deep breaths. Or go one step further and do some yoga. But either way, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth will help you breath the stress away.

I also would recommend journaling. Just writing down what you are going through can help you clear your head. This will also help you gain a new perspective on things and possibly find new solutions to the problems causing you stress.

Finally, keep healthy snacks. Instead of munching on bad stuff, grab some strawberries, almonds, or carrot sticks. You'll feel better knowing you reached out for something nutritious, and your body will feel better because it is getting what it needs.

Congratulations on taking these steps to improving your and your son's lives. I know it's got to be hard now, but stick with it because the end results are totally worth it. My fiancÚ's grandfather died of lung cancer from smoking, and the whole family misses him everyday. You are giving yourself the gift of life, and it's totally worth it.

There are plenty of different ways to reduce your stress that don't involve cleaning out the frig. I highly recommend taking a walk. Walking is not only great cardiovascular exercise, it's a great way to reduce stress too. Put the little guy in his stroller and go enjoy the sunshine. the fresh air would do you both some good.

If you don't want to take a walk, how about a cup of tea ? I find sitting with a cup of herbal tea helps reduce my stress. Do you have any hobbies ? I know that's not easy with a newborn, but there must have been something you enjoyed doing prior to having children. Did you knit ? sew ? paint ? collect stamps ? I find something like crafts very helpful because they keep people's minds and fingers occupied.

If you don't want to do any of those, how about putting on some of your favorite relaxing music ? And it doesn't have to be the musak you hear in an elevator. If you like loud outrageous rock, listen to loud outrageous rock.

And well, when you do feel an urge for a snack and it is okay to snack, have a piece of fruit. If you want your son to have good habits, then start by keeping a big bowl of fruit for snacks. The entire family needs to start thinking that fresh fruit (like grapes, oranges, kiwi, apples) is a tastier snack than chips or candy.

When a person is stressed out, NOW is the most important time to eat healthfully. Most people don't realize that stress breaks down a person's immune system. So, the healthier you eat, the better for your body during times of stress.

So I am really stressed out at home, and I used to go and smoke when I was stressed out. But I quit smoking so I can't do that now. Mainly cause it is not good for you and I am breastfeed sooo. I do not want my son to pay for my bad habit. But now when I am stressed out I just want to eat. Which I really do not want to cause they are usually bad eating habits. So if anyone has some helpful tips to do other than over eating PLEASE help.

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